Farewell Windhams

Everything and Much More

Today we have come to celebrate you guys.

We have come to express our gratitude for the gift of your service and leadership at Lakewood.

We have come to wish you farewell.

In so much of our lives, there is a hope that we can reach a satisfactory level of something. There are so many competing things yearning for our time, our attention, our focus, our energy, our presence. Today we pause from those things and embrace the time that we have as family in this place.

We don’t want you to just fare well and we pray that you don’t just fare well in the journey ahead. We pray that you fare exceedingly and abundantly.

This morning we want to charge you with a few verses from the book of Exodus. Now, Exodus doesn’t always seem like the go to for ideas on faring abundantly or exceedingly. But I think quite the opposite because that’s how God show Himself and His character.

In Exodus 33:11

Exodus 33:11 HCSB

The Lord spoke with Moses face to face, just as a man speaks with his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his assistant, the young man Joshua son of Nun, would not leave the inside of the tent.

So the Israelites had just been called a stiff-necked people, they mourned, they didn’t leave their tents, it’s not a happy scene.

Oh, but God was working through His willing servant, Moses. Moses spoke to Moses face-to-face. That is a level of intimacy required of officers. It is important and it is something that others will experience when they come and ask for guidance or prayer. Your intimacy with the Lord must be evident for those in your ministry and beyond.

Our charge to you today is to be like Moses. And this charge is not just for Dawn and Chipp, it is for you also Pat. Your ministry is always direct and loving and kind and personal. Our charge is that you hunger for God’s presence, honor His word and walk with humility of heart. These three things have the ability to transform your lives and the lives of the people you lead and serve.

But we also charge you to depend on that intimacy for power and strength and with each conversation you long to hear His voice more. May your cry be “Oh how we want to see Jesus and look full in His wonderful face”. The overflow of His presence results in the performance of His power and love.

One day, we at Lakewood will hear of this overflow, we have no doubt. For the nation of Israel, the overflow of Moses’ leadership was recorded in Deuteronomy 34:12.

“For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the sight of all Israel.”

We want you to fare abundantly and exceedingly. There is a Corps and community awaiting your arrival. There are people in need of your love, your compassion, your correction, your leading, your love, and your presence. But when your first love is intimacy with the Lord, it is very likely that people will say -

For no one has ever shown the mighty power or performed the awesome deeds that Dawn, Chipp, and Pat did in the sight of all Kansas City, MO. We are blessed to know that this Corps played a role in that day, and for now, we say farewell and thank you for your service to this Corps and community.

Lt. Amanda hands gifts and Lt. Adam prays for them.

We first met Dawn, Chipp, Pat and Denny in Mason City for Geff and Leti’s welcome and installation service in Mason City. Chipp, Dawn, and Elizabeth sang a beautiful piece and we had the chance to speak after the service. I recall a brief conversation about COVID stuff and that you were both in education, blah blah.

On June 12th, 2022 @ 2:50 PM while I was still standing on the stage at commissioning - I got a Facebook message from Chipp. We weren’t supposed to have phones, but I got permission because of my blood sugar monitor, and I saw a message icon on my watch.

Welcome to Lakewood. Dawn and I are Geff and Leti’s sister and brother-in-law. We met in Mason City. Looking forward to you coming.

The word excited was and had been used many many times in the two years since we’ve arrived. I think that’s because that’s the word that best fits how you see ministry here at Lakewood, and no doubt that go with you Northland.

Pat, I recall a conversation we had about sermons that you listen to.